Santa Paula’s Top Cop Announces Retirement

Citing voters’ rejection of a public safety tax as one reason for his decision, Santa Paula Police Chief Bob Gonzales said Friday that he will retire after nearly 33 years on the force.

Gonzales, 54, who has served as chief since 1999, said he would stay on as a contract employee through Sept. 30 to give city officials time to select a replacement.

“I haven’t looked at this as a job. I’ve loved doing this,” Gonzales said. “What a great ride. It’s been an honor to serve the five generations of people I’ve seen while on the beat.”

City officials commended Gonzales for his dedication and service to the community of 29,000. Over the years, he served on the city’s elementary and high school boards and as a trustee of the Ventura County Community College District.

“Bob’s consistent service to the youth of Santa Paula over the years is unmatched,” said City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz. “He has helped create a learning environment in Santa Paula schools that will have a lasting positive impact for many years to come.”

Beginning his career as a police officer in December 1972, Gonzales rose through the ranks to become the city’s top cop during a difficult period in the late 1990s. Two years before his promotion, 92% of the city’s unionized officers gave Gonzales’ predecessor a vote of “no confidence” and accused him of poor leadership. The year before Gonzales moved up from operations division commander, violent crime in the city was up 38%.

Though Gonzales was among three final candidates for the police chief position, he was only offered the job after the first two applicants turned it down because they felt the $83,000 salary was too low. The job now pays $95,400.

Gonzales said Friday he was most proud of how the city’s crime rate dramatically improved during his watch. From 1998 to 2004, the number of violent crimes annually -- including homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault and arson -- dropped 42%, from 1,133 to 657.

But a 2003 audit of the department called it inefficient, outdated and under-funded. The report said the department’s structure was faulty, its mission vague, and it suggested Gonzales played favorites with promotions, special assignments and training.

But the report also showed that 85% of those surveyed rated the Police Department as good or very good, and 79% said they had a great deal of respect for the department and its officers.

The city considered contracting with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement, but dropped the idea when it was determined the cost would be as much as $1.5 million more each year, Bobkiewicz said.

To bolster police services, the city placed a utility tax measure on last November’s ballot that would have raised nearly $1.3 million annually for its cash-strapped, 32-member department. But the measure failed by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.

Although he felt it was time to leave after three decades, Gonzales said that the defeat of the tax measure also played a part in his decision. Married with five children, Gonzales said he is still considering what to do after retirement.

Councilman John Procter, who called the chief “a friend and confidant,” said he will be hard to replace.

“He’ll be sorely missed. He had an incredible connection to the community,” Procter said. “What can’t be replaced is the invaluable public relations value he had for the city, because we was so respected and well-loved by the community.”